You certainly vacated. But a 500 mile drive and still in the north country seems like a waste of the gas. Spring vacation should at least give you some gentle warm spring weather. Enjoy whatever drew you to where you are this week. And thanks for the pictures of the trip.

Heh -- on our way from AZ to CA, I think we average 75-80 mph. If you're going less than 75 on I-10, you're a hazard. I think the speed limit is 75 mph for a lot of the way, but I know there are places where it's less than that, but it never seems to matter.

1. What is the first man-made object to travel such that it exceeded the speed of sound?the droplets from sneezing, during a dry powder avalanche.

2. Roughly when did this new technology happen?1027 BC

3. Why was this supersonic technology considered a major step in advancing mankind?It wasn't, really. Mr. Horgorgorg was completely buried. Unless "Don't be in an avalanche" was a totally new lesson at the time.

Is C4 talking about the first unofficial claim of supersonic speed by his beloved Luftwaffe, his equally beloved V2 Program or the US Bell X-1 program? There are three different dates for each one of those...

Isn't it interesting the difference in perception in various geographic areas about what is a long drive? It is routine here to drive round trip 150 to 300 miles just to go shopping or to commute daily to your job.

Like Joan says in the West, once you hit the freeways or open roads you'd better be going at least 70 to 75 or you'll get run over. Move over Grandma or get shoved over!! We also don't measure trips by miles, instead it is by hours.

Mr Forward's answers were dead right. The whip dates to at least Ancient Ur, 4,000 BC, well before BBQ. And it was essential to control of herds for domestication of animals. It likely came from nomadic tribes.

ElcubanitoKC was confused in his answer. Perhaps his Israel 1st ball-licking genuflections move at super sonic speeds, but well after the invention of the whip - and Elcubanito himself is the tool. A disloyal tool. Time to put America 1st, boy, and get rid of your stupid Cuban flag as well...unless you are pining to live there as well as serve Israel..

Pogo's response was innovative. But snot in a dry avalanche is akin to homo erectus (no not Titus), having bits and body parts blown off at supersonic speed from a bolt of lightning. An unpleasant, but passive experience..

I am also a little skeptical about snow in any avalanche exceeding the sound barrier.

Here's a new one. Which DNA based group has exterminated the most critters?

I think Native Americans exterminated the most critters, because of giant ground sloths and a whole zoo that went extinct when the Paleo-Indians...er...excuse me...Paleo-NATIVE fucking Americans showed up.

OTOH, you gotta hand them Indians credit for something, which is the domestication of CORN, the damndest piece of agricultural invention in the history of the Universe.

The Indians I work with in the casino never let you forget who was here FIRST, Kimosabe.

Slight edge to the noble Native American stewards of nature who lived in harmony with the environment for the greatest extermination.They just edged out the New Guinea/OZ Aborigines who did an impressive slaughter along with the dogs and later rats they introduced. Fortunately for their "Prize" they had two continents to work with.

Whites and Asians however get the prize for

1. Being the only people who wiped out human subspecies (Neanderthal, Forensis, Java Man)

2. And dilegently searching out remote corners of the Earth to find new species to kill and wipe out for food and folk medicine.

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And yes, corn is the all-time prize in achievement in domestication. It wasn't thought so, as the remnants of Mesoamerican civilization were thought pikers compared to the sophistication and advancements of Asian, Euro, and ME civilization only 40 years ago. Researchers thought back breeding corn would be a few simple steps to trace varieties that contributed to the corn the Conquistadors found.

Once they started trying though, a big WTF? happened. Corn was created in hundreds of steps over what they thought was 800 or so years, with very sophisticated breeding techniques and a eye on varieties 3-4 steps ahead of them.

PS - Man has been in the Americas for over 40,000 years. And todays Indians are replacements for 2-3 previous waves they killed off or assimilated.And in addition to Sibero-Asiatic stock, we see genetic tracers of whites and Polynesians arriving in prehistory.

The casino Indians were not "First". And, as some tribes say someone can be as little as 1/32nd "Indian" and still be a legitimate tribesmember - the typical casino "Indian" is 60 to 96% of "Later, non-NA People" ancestry.